Reverb photo requirements, in short: add up to 25 photos per listing, each at least 620×620 px and up to 1600×1600 px. Reverb crops every photo to a square on web, app and search, so upload square images. Individual sellers must photograph the exact item in its current condition: no stock photos, screenshots, added text, borders or collages. Only authorized dealers selling new, B-Stock or Mint gear may use stock images.
More on this topic: Marketplace image requirements, every guide in one place.
Reverb buyers are musicians who know exactly what to look for: fret wear, headstock repairs, serial numbers, scratches on the pickguard, the condition of the knobs on a pedal. Reverb's photo rules reflect that, and in 2026 it rewrote them into a Listing Standards page that's stricter than most marketplaces on stock and reused photos. This guide covers the size rules, what Reverb bans, the shots every instrument listing needs and how to prepare files. For the shoot itself, see our guide to photographing a guitar to sell; to make photos square without cropping the instrument, the free square image maker pads them in your browser.
- Count: up to 25 photos per listing.
- Size: at least 620×620 px, up to 1600×1600 px.
- Shape: square; Reverb square-crops every photo everywhere.
- Your own photos: the exact item in its current condition; boxed gear must be shown out of the box.
- Banned: stock or borrowed images (except for authorized dealers on new gear), screenshots, text, graphics, borders, collages and placeholders.
- Show identifying features: back, headstock and serial number.
What are Reverb's photo requirements?
Up to 25 photos, each between 620×620 and 1600×1600 pixels, square, showing the actual item. These rules come from Reverb's help center articles on listing photos and its Listing Standards for images (updated September and October 2026), which we read in October 2026.
| Rule | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Photos per listing | Up to 25 | Reverb help: listing photos |
| Minimum size | 620×620 px | Reverb help: listing photos |
| Maximum size | 1600×1600 px | Reverb help: listing photos |
| Crop | Square on web, app and search | Reverb help: photo cropping |
| Stock images | Only authorized dealers, for Brand New, B-Stock or Mint items | Listing Standards: Images |
| Watermarks | Small and transparent tolerated; discouraged, and excluded from ads | Listing Standards: Images |
| File formats and file size | Not published | — |
Reverb's photo rules were checked in October 2026. Marketplaces change their rules, so confirm the current requirements in your seller dashboard before you upload a large batch.
Reverb doesn't list accepted file formats or a file size limit in the articles we read. A JPEG at 1600×1600 is the safe choice: it's the largest size Reverb uses and typically well under 1 MB.
What photos are not allowed on Reverb?
Anything that isn't a real, current photo of the item you're selling. Reverb's Listing Standards list these as not allowed:
- Stock photos and images from other sources, unless you're an authorized dealer selling Brand New, B-Stock or Mint gear.
- Screenshots.
- Photos reused from the listing you bought the item from. Reverb asks for the exact item in its current condition.
- Gear still in its packaging. If it's boxed, open the box and show the gear.
- Added text or graphics, borders and collages.
- Placeholder images.
Reverb tolerates small, transparent watermarks but discourages them, and watermarked photos are left out of Reverb's ad cycles. If you want your listing promoted, skip the watermark.
What size should Reverb photos be?
1600×1600 pixels, square. That's Reverb's maximum, so it gives the sharpest zoom without wasted file size, and square photos aren't cropped unpredictably.
| Export | Pixels | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended | 1600×1600 | Reverb's maximum; sharpest result |
| Minimum | 620×620 | Accepted, but soft when zoomed |
| Phone photo (4:3) | 4032×3024 | Will be square-cropped; crop or pad it yourself first |
| Long instruments (guitars, basses) | 1600×1600 with padding | Pad the sides instead of cutting off the headstock |
A full guitar is long and thin, so a square crop cuts it off. Either shoot it on a diagonal, or pad the photo to a square with a plain background using the free square image maker. Close-ups crop well with the image cropper.
What photos should a Reverb listing include?
Every identifying feature and every flaw. Reverb's standards call out the back, the headstock and the serial number specifically, and buyers expect close-ups of wear.
| Instrument | Must-have shots |
|---|---|
| Electric and acoustic guitars | Front, back, headstock front and back, serial, neck and frets, pickups and controls, wear and repairs, case |
| Basses | As guitars, plus the bridge and pickups up close |
| Pedals | Top with knobs, sides with jacks, bottom plate and serial, inside if modded, the box if included |
| Amps | Front, back panel, controls, speaker, tubes or chassis if relevant, serial plate |
| Keyboards and synths | Whole unit, controls, back panel connections, screen powered on, any dead keys |
| Drums and cymbals | Each piece, badges and serials, heads, edges and any cracks |
- Start with a clean, well-lit full shot of the instrument as photo 1.
- Work around it: back, sides, headstock, body details.
- Add the serial number and any model labels.
- Photograph every flaw close up, in good light.
- Finish with included accessories: case, gig bag, cables, paperwork.
Pad long instrument photos to a square so Reverb's crop doesn't cut off the headstock. Free, no sign-up, nothing uploaded.
Open the square image maker7 days free · 50 credits · No credit cardHow do you prepare photos for Reverb?
- Convert iPhone HEIC photos to JPEG.
- Make each photo square: crop close-ups, pad full-instrument shots.
- Resize to 1600×1600.
- Compress lightly so uploads are quick.
- Remove location data from phone photos before you share them publicly.
The free HEIC to JPG converter, image compressor and photo metadata remover handle those steps in your browser. Don't use AI to change the instrument itself: Reverb wants the exact item in its current condition, so edits should stop at cropping, brightness and white balance.
Selling gear on other marketplaces too? See eBay photo requirements, Facebook Marketplace photo tips and how many product photos per listing.
What should the first photo on Reverb be?
The whole instrument, clearly lit, square and uncluttered. It's the image buyers see in search and on the app, so it should show exactly what you're selling at a glance: the full guitar or pedal, front on, with nothing else competing for attention.
- Front-on, whole item: no detail shot or case shot as the first photo.
- Plain background: a wall, a sheet or a floor without clutter.
- Even light: daylight from a window or two soft lamps; no on-camera flash glare.
- Square framing: pad long instruments so nothing is cut off by Reverb's crop.
- No text or graphics: Reverb's standards don't allow them.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit my Reverb photos?
Light edits are fine: cropping, straightening, brightness and white balance. Don't hide flaws or change the instrument, since Reverb requires photos of the item in its current condition.
Should I photograph the case on Reverb?
Yes, if it's included. Put it after the instrument photos, open and closed, and show any wear on the latches, hinges and lining.
What file format should Reverb photos be?
Reverb's help articles don't list formats, but JPEG at 1600×1600 is the safe choice. Convert iPhone HEIC files first if an upload fails.
How many photos can I add to a Reverb listing?
Up to 25.
What size should Reverb photos be?
Square, between 620×620 and 1600×1600 px. 1600×1600 gives the sharpest zoom.
Does Reverb crop photos?
Yes. Reverb shows every photo as a square on the website, app and search, so upload square images.
Can I use stock photos on Reverb?
Only authorized dealers selling Brand New, B-Stock or Mint gear. Everyone else must photograph the exact item.
Can I reuse photos from the listing I bought from?
No. Reverb requires photos of the item in its current condition, taken by you.
Are watermarks allowed on Reverb?
Small, transparent watermarks are tolerated but discouraged, and watermarked photos are excluded from Reverb's ads.
What photos does Reverb require for guitars?
Show every identifying feature, including the back, the headstock and the serial number, plus any wear or repairs.
Make square, well-lit photos for every listing, and turn new-gear product shots into clean main images and scenes for your own store.
Start free trialSee pricing7 days free · 50 credits · No credit card. Trial images carry a small “Made with aiarter” mark; paid plans export clean files you can use commercially.
